Starter for internal-combustion engines.



F. E. FISHER.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIQATION FILED 001.21.1911.

Patnted Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- W/m l *1 Ewe/Mom F. E. FISHER.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT-ZYI'IBII. 1,159,752, I I Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

y LIGHTS.

TD TIMER FRANK n. FISHER, or DETROIT, liner-near.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed October 27, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK. FISHER, citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit. county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Starters for Internal-CombustionEngines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescr1pt1on of the. same, such as will enable others skilled 1n the artto which is pertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in means for the self-starting ofinternal. combustion engines and is more especially designed forautomobile or motor boat 1nstallations.

My invention includes a motor-dynamo mounted on an extension of theengine shaft,the arrangement being such that the engine is started bythe dynamo through current from a storage battery 1n turn recharged bythe dynamo when operated as a generator.

A further object of the invention is to provide for discontinuing theoperationof the dynamo as a motor, simultaneously wlth the independentoperation of the engine, the arrangement being such that the motor thenbecomes a generator to recharge the storage battery. v

A further object is to provide means whereby in the event of the engineback firing there will be no danger of stripping the train of gearsemployed to start the engine through any undue shock or sudden reversalof the parts,the arrangement being such that the frictional drivingconnection provided between the motor and engine will slip relieving thegearing of any undue strain.

Other advantages and improvements will hereafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification: Figure l is alongitudinal central section of the starting device (with parts brokenaway and in elevation). Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a train of gearssupported upon the engine shaft actuated by the dynamo when operating asa motor, the end wall of the inclosing case shown in Fig. 1, beingremoved and parts broken away to more clearly disclose the construction.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite end of the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9,1915.

Serial No. 657,130.

device with parts of the casing broken away to show the construction.Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view ofthe electric connections, to indicatethemanner of closing the circuit betweenbattery and motor to start the engine and to operate the motor as a generator. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe lever indicated in the diagrammatic view for operating the switchfor closing the circuit, the

friction ring cam, and the lever controlling the lateral movement of thearmature sleeve. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of the engine shaft andarmature sleeve mounted thereon indicating means for forcing saidarmature sleeve into contact with the shoulder formed on the engineshaft wherebyit may operate as a unit,also means employed to release itfrom said operating relation.

in carrying out my invention it is obvious that changes may be made inthe details of construction without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings: Aindicates an extension of an engine shaft. A a fragment of the enginecase.

B is a case inclosing a dynamo and the train of gears supported on theextension of the engine shaft, its end wall B being bolted to the enginecase A. 4

C is an internal annular gear keyed to the engine shaft.

D is an annular plate sleeved on the hub of the internal annular gear C.

E is an annular plate spaced from the plate D having an annular flange 6overlapping the flange of the internal gear C, in which is set a gasket6 to prevent the entry of dust into the gear case. Between the annularplates D and E are supported a train of gears mounted on a plurality ofstub shafts supported in said plates and by which the plates are heldapart.

F denotes a gear free to turn on the shaft f and meshing with theinternal annular gear C and pinion G, the latter being inte gral withthe gear H mounted on the shaft 7 on which they are free to turn. Thegear H in turn meshes with a pinion I keyed on the sleeve J of thearmature -l".

K is the motor, and K are its field magnets supported in the case B.

L is the commutator, and L its brushes.

M indicates a rock shaft journaled in the case B.

M is a cam mounted on the endof the. shaft adapted to bear against therim 6 of the annular plate E whereby it may be moved laterally.

N is an annular friction disk or ring secured to a shoulder formed inthe case B designed to receive the thrust of the annular plate E whenbrought into frictional relation by the cam M. Upon the engine shaftadjacent to the commutator of the generator, is secured a fixed collar0. Spaced from the fixed collar 0 is a sliding collar 0' keyed to theengineshaft that it may rotate therewith.

' O is a disk secured to the collar adapted to bear against the sleeve Jof thearmature.

Between the collarO and the sliding collar- O, is a spring P adapted toforce the sleeve J of the armature against the shoulder a on the engineshaft to assist in causing it to rotate therewith when operating as agenerator as will be hereafter more fully explained.

Q is a lever fulcrumed at 9, its lower end formed with a yoke to engagethe sliding collar O by which it maybe moved against the action of thespring P.

R is a lever, preferably a foot lever, pivoted at 1' to a suitablesupporting frame.

S, is a rod connecting the lever B with the lever Q.

m is a stud projecting from-an arm carried by the rock shaft M into anaperture provided in the rod S for its reception.

T is a two-pole electrics'witch, the arms T and T of which are adaptedto be moved to engage the contact points 1 and 2 or 3 and erator Kthrough series coil to storage battery U, to charge battery, thence toground V, through switch T back to generator K. To start the motorcurrent flows from storage battery U to series coil thence to motor K,to switch T, to ground V, back to battery U. In'the ignition circuit,current starts fromthe battery U to the timer, back to switch T, toground V, to battery U The lighting circuit starts from the battery U,to the switch, thence to lights and back to ground.

Having denoted the several parts by reference letters, I will nowdescribe the operation of my invention: To start the motor, the

two-pole switch T is operated to close the circuit through the storagebattery U to the timer and to the motor K, by means of the foot lever-R.Upon operating the foot lever B, the rock shaft M is also actuatedforcing the cam against the rim of the annular plate Ew'hich in turn isthrust into frictionalcontact with the annular disk N secured'to thecase B. -As the casing B is bolted to the storage battery, the pinion Ikeyed on the .sleeve J of the dynamo drives the gear H and through itthe pinion G, mounted on the shaft 9, which meshes with the gear F, inturn meshing with the internal annular gear C keyed to the engine shaftA, by the operation of which the engine is started ;the dynamo runningas a motor until the engine operates independently. Upon the enginestarting from the explosion of gas in its cylinders, the shock due tothe explosion causes the plate E to slip with respect to the frictionaldisk N, thereby eliminating any excessive strain upon the mechanism. Theengine having now begun to operate independent of the motor, theoperator fully releases the cam M from contact with the rim of theannular plate E, by withdrawing pressure upon the foot lever R. Thedynamo which is of a type adapted to rotate in the same direction whenoperating either as a motor or as a generator is now driven by theengine, the internal gear C keyed to the engine shaft acting as a unitwith the gears F, G, H (which remain stationary on their shafts) todrive the pinion I keyed to the armature sleeve, thereby rotating thearmature J. The spring P on the end of the engine shaft through therelease of the levers R and Q forces the teeth J at the end of thearmature sleeve into engagement with the teeth a of the shoulder a .onthe engine shaft, thus serving as a means to insure the rotation of thearmature by the engine, guarding against any tendency there may be ofthe gears F, G, and H, turning on their shafts when the dynamo isoperating as agenerator. The current produced by the dynamo operating asa generator passes to the battery through the circuit closed by theswitch T and ground V. When it is desired to stop the engine the switchT is opened, breaking the ignition and battery circuit.

It will be seen from an inspection of the drawing taken in connectionwith the accompanying description that the train of gearing does notdrive the generator but simply acts in cooperation with the clutch teethat the end of the sleeve J and merely assists in driving the generatorwhich is actuated through the medium of the shaft A by its clooperatmnwith the notched end of the said s eeve.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. In an apparatussuch as described, a casing, an engine shaft and a generator shaftextending into said casing in alinement, means for connecting the engineand generator shafts, whereby the generator shaft will be rotated uponrotation of the engine shaft, a disk slidably located upon the generatorshaft, means for sliding said disk, a train of gears mounted upon thedisk, a gear keyed to the engine shaft and meshing With the aforesaidtrain of gears carried by the disk, said disk being slidable relative tothe gear carried by the engine shaft, means carried by the casing forengaging the first mentioned disk and sliding the same within saidcasing, a means engaging the disk for retracting the same as and for thepurposes set forth.v

2. In an apparatus such as described, a casing, an engine shaft and agenerator shaft mounted in said casing, said shafts being disposed inalinement, interlocking means provided upon the engine and generatorshafts whereby the said generator shaft Will be rotated upon therotation of the engine shaft, a generator supported by the casing andgenerator shaft, means for sliding the generator shaft longitudinally ofthe casing into and out of engagement with the engine shaft, a diskslidable upon the generator shaft, a peripheral flange formed upon saiddisk, a ring carried by the casing for engagement With said disk uponthe sliding movement of the disk, a train of gears carried by the disk,one of the gears of said train being keyed to the generator shaft, agear keyed to the engine shaft and meshing with said train of gears,said disk having a flange Within which the gear carried by the engineshaft is located and the said disk being slidable relative to the gear,and means carried by the casing for engaging the disk to slide the sameupon the generator shaft.

3. In an apparatus such as described, a casing, an engine shaft and agenerator shaft extending therein, an internal gear keyed to the engineshaft, a disk mounted on the hub of said internal gear, a disk slidableupon the generator shaft Within said casing, a train of planetarygearing carried by the disks and engaging the internal gear, a gearkeyed to the generator shaft and meshing with said train of planetarygearing, a friction ringsupported ithin the casing in the path of saidsliding disk, an annular flange formed upon the sliding disk andsurrounding the internal gear, a gasket carried by the flange andengaging the internal gear, a rock shaft journaled in the casing,meansfor actuating the same, and a cam carried by said rock shaft andengaging the flange of the sliding disk whereby the latter Will be movedto engage the friction ring.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twoWitnesses.

FRANK E. FISHER.

